Do you love sleeping naked?
After the June 2008 release of their self-titled debut album, “Sleeping Naked,” third-year business economics student Holden Seguso and Vanderbilt University student Craig Tallent have been building up their college fan base, all while balancing athletics and classes.
In spite of hectic schedules, Seguso and Tallent have collaborated since high school and into college to pursue their shared love for music. Seguso, who is one of the highest-ranked college tennis players in the nation, and Tallent, a third-year Mandarin Chinese student who is on a golf scholarship, have had to work around the chaotic schedule of a college athlete.
“Well, we do most of the recording during our breaks, and because I go to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Holden goes to UCLA, we don’t really tour or play live to be honest,” Tallent said.
Since Tallent and Seguso’s schedules are so different, the only time they are really able to play live is during the summer. Yet although Sleeping Naked has not found the time to tour, they have already professionally recorded a full-length album, and shot a video for their single entitled “Straight Chillin’.”
“I think a lot of stress is involved, obviously, with being in college and it is definitely important to sometimes hang out and just “˜chill’ for a lack of a better word,” Tallent said.
“It’s a great feeling grabbing a guitar, hanging out with some friends and not worrying about anything,” Seguso added. “It is a great release from the real world. If you don’t spend any time hanging out and relaxing then you’ll drive yourself crazy.”
Tallent and Seguso met their sophomore year of high school in Florida after realizing they both played guitar and shared an interest in writing songs. But it was growing up with the sounds of his father playing guitar that inspired Tallent to also learn to play around the age of 12.
“My dad plays a lot of bluegrass guitar and that’s really what I thought music was; I didn’t really realize anything other than that existed until I was maybe 15,” Tallent said.
“Then I started listening to like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and a little more mainstream stuff like John Mayer ““ that’s when I really started playing music.”
Tallent and Seguso began recording at age 19, but it has only been in the last two years that they actually started to pursue their music professionally. With the help of the buffet of services available at the UnLabel, the guys of Sleeping Naked are beginning to mold their musical careers, doing the best they can to forget about the physical distance between them.
“The UnLabel was a great help because they did everything we didn’t have time to do. … Without their help, it would have been nearly impossible to get started,” said Seguso.
It’s all with the hope that Sleeping Naked will catch on and provide Tallent and Seguso the opportunity to tour and pursue their passion. But, they’re realists.
“If we aren’t really making any hits and people aren’t really responding in a couple of years, then I think we really have to step back, and see if we want to go on,” Tallent said. “But if people are responding, I think playing can be a lot of fun to do, at least for a good amount of time.”